LSC-Kingwood Hosts Safe Dating Program

Published on: January 11, 2013

In today’s world, dating and entering relationships can be an exciting or dangerous experience.

In this regard, Lone Star College-Kingwood’s Women’s Center will host an informative program on safe dating Jan. 29 at 12:30 p.m. Open to the community, faculty, staff and students, this free event will be held in the Student-Conference Center.

Guest speaker Jane Waters will discuss dating violence and stalking as well as warning signs, victim rights, and techniques victims can use in the event they are in an unsafe situation. Waters is chief of the Special Victims Bureau at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

“We hope this program will bring attention to these two destructive issues (stalking and dating violence) that can ruin the lives of the victims and impact their entire family,” said Diane Blanco, Women’s Center administrator.

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, stalking is a crime in all 50 states and it is difficult to recognize, investigate and prosecute. Some of the statistics include:

• Approximately 6.6 million people were stalked last year, only a few were celebrities, most were ordinary citizens.
• Suspects in one in 5 cases uses weapons to harm or threaten their victims.

According to the United States Department of Justice and the Office on Violence Against Women, dating violence occurs in relationships of couples of all ages. Statistics include:

• One in five young women will be a victim of sexual assault while they are in college.
• One in nine teen girls will be forced to have sex.
• One in 10 teens will be hurt on purpose by someone they are dating.

“I would like to extend a special invitation to area parents, school counselors and our area clergy to attend this important presentation,” Blanco said.

LSC-Kingwood’s Women’s Center regularly sponsors programs for college students, personnel and the community in an effort to raise awareness of issues that impact the lives of women and their families. For more information on the safe dating program at LSC-Kingwood, email Diane.K.Blanco@LoneStar.edu.

Register now for credit classes online through myLoneStar.  Classes are offered days, evenings, or weekends in traditional, Internet, video, TV and independent study formats. For more information on how to register online, visit www.lonestar.edu/registration.

For general information about Lone Star College-Kingwood, call 281.312.1600 or visit http://lonestar.edu/kingwood.htm.

With 75,000 students in credit classes and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, five centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.